Modeling and Analysis of Small Cells Based on Clustered Stochastic Geometry

A cellular network is usually modeled and analyzed as a Poisson point process (PPP). However, small cells are ordinarily clustered around hotspots in urban areas, which cannot be accurately modeled with a PPP. This letter presents an analysis of the downlink coverage of small cells that are modeled with a Matern cluster process (MCP). A new accurate formula for the probability generating function of an MCP is derived. We also propose a new distribution function for the desired distance (i.e., between the user and serving small cell) based on the spherical contact distribution function of the Boolean model. The above two formulas can be used to obtain a closed-form expression for the downlink average coverage probability of small cells. Simulation results confirm the accuracy of our derived formulas. Our derived MCP-based coverage is accurate and can be used to guide the small cell configuration of a cellular network.